Netflix greenlights live-action series based on D&D's Ravenloft

Netflix has given the green light to a new live-action series titled Ravenloft, drawing on the world of the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons. According to a report from Deadline, the show will be a gothic fantasy focused on the backstory of Darklord Strahd von Zarovich, one of the best-known vampire villains from the Ravenloft setting.

Filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón will serve as an executive producer on the project. Cuarón previously worked with Netflix on Roma, which he wrote and directed for the streamer in 2018 to strong critical acclaim. The series will be written by John August, who has previously worked as a screenwriter on several Tim Burton films, including Big Fish and Corpse Bride.

Not the first D&D adaptation

Ravenloft won't be the first attempt to bring Dungeons & Dragons to the screen. A feature film starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Regé-Jean Page was released in 2023. Meanwhile, HBO is separately developing a series based on the video game Baldur's Gate 3, which is essentially another expansion of the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

Dungeons & Dragons is owned by Hasbro, and its vast, ever-expanding fantasy world has increasingly made it an attractive source of material for film and television projects, in addition to its longtime appeal to tabletop players.